Centimeter-Scale Nanoporous 2D Membranes and Ion Transport: Porous MoS₂ Monolayers in a Few-Layer Matrix

Two-dimensional nanoporous membranes have received attention as catalysts for energy generation and membranes for liquid and gas purification but controlling their porosity and facilitating large-scale production is challenging. We show the growth and fabrication of centimeter-scale molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) membranes with tunable porous areas up to ∼ 10% of the membrane and average nanopore diameters as large as ∼ 30 nm, controlled by the etch time. We also measure ionic conductance between 0.1 and 16 μS per μm² through variably etched nanoporous membranes. Ensuring the mechanical robustness and large-area of the membrane, bilayer and few-layer regions form a strong supporting matrix around monolayer regions, observed by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. During etching, nanopores form in thin, primarily monolayer areas whereas thicker multilayer regions remain essentially intact. Atomic-resolution imaging reveals that after exposure to the etchant, the number of V_1Mo vacancies increases and nanopores form along grain boundaries in monolayers, suggesting that etching starts at intrinsic defect sites. This work provides an avenue for the scalable production of nanoporous atomically thin membranes.